Skyfall - Grading & Discussion
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As editor he'd do well.
Oh, you can see a fuller review from me here:
http://www.syfy.co.uk/blogs/james-bond-skyfall-review
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I've heard that he got an audition to replace Dalton and that Eon were initially keen but that he wanted to play the role as a cold-blooded killer, much like Dalton or, well, Craig. Ahead of his time, basically. He could probably still get away with it, but he'd probably need to do a Connery and get a toupee.
I really enjoyed the movie, even if the 'Best Bond ever' reviews do now seem a little over-stated. Like Judge Death I'd need to see it again to say where it fits.
Not to sound negative, but it's easier to list the things I didn't like than the ones I did like (of which there were many). They were mainly humour-derived. I actually do think that Craig has a good sardonic delivery which was used to good effect in CR. But man oh man, not even Eddie Murphy in his heyday could have made me laugh with the weak quips penned for DC this time out. Instantly forgettable. And when Bond jumped on the back of the departing tube train, I remember thinking "Please don't let the old couple on the platform say anything 'funny,'" But, no, someone had to say 'He's in a hurry to get home!' in a Cockney accent, like something from a Moore movie. Hilarious. Not. And Bond's follow-up line to the conductor was just as cringeworthy.
I like Ben Whishaw as an actor but while Q should be played a little tongue in cheek, all in all he was way too reminiscent of Moss from The IT Crowd. Tone it down next time out folks.
But these should be seen as minor quibbles when offset against not only Craig's strongest performance as Bond but easily Judi Dench's best one as M; it was almost a co-headlining role which she ate up. I thought her death was genuinely moving and you really felt the connection between the two. Bardem was great fun, mixing camp, menace and poignancy, the action sequences were fantastic, the cinematography was brilliant and it was lovely to see the Aston Martin onscreen (you fucker Silva, how could you?!). Not forgetting a nice supporting turn from Albert Finney (I wonder if they ever offered that role to Connery?!).
The end action sequence was very un-Bondian and all the better for that - almost like something from a Lee Child novel, while the final scenes with the new M and Moneypenny (the, er, Penny, dropped with me a few minutes before he asked her her name) set us up beautifully for the next outings.
James Bond WILL return. Just don't leave it so long folks!
I think Finnes wouldn't have had the predatory, animalistic nature of Craig, but he'd do seething resentment and sheer cold bloodedness as well as either Craig or Dalton. Ah well he's M now, and one hopes this is a long term thing, be nice if he stays M even when Craig's replaced (hopefully not just yet).
I didn't mind Bond's "Health and Safety" line, but yeah the couple on the platform were a bit Roger Moore, but given I'm quite a fan of a lot of Moore films this didn't bother me too much
Saw this again last night and, if anything, I enjoyed it more. I rated it A originally, but I really wish I'd waited a bit cos I think it does just sneak an A+. Silva's plan is still ridiculous but it bothered me less, and I found I enjoyed the finale more second time around. It is very atypical, but that isn't a bad thing. Funnily enough Mark Kermode said in his review that Bond turns into Straw Dogs, which asmused me because that's exactly what I thought the first time I saw it. It is a nice inversion of the usual ending, this is Bond's secret lair rather than the villain's.
This time I went with a friend who's heavily into IT, and specifically IT security, he was not impressed with Q's security procedures! He made the point about Q being quite Moss like as well, though he's less of a high functioning aspergic than Moss often appears to be.
This is definitely in contention for film of the year for me now, with this The Avengers and The Artist the top three, and yet another film that kicks the Dark Knight Rises further down my list I think.
^Hmmm, I gave it an A-, deciding at the last minute that a B+ was too low. I'm still pretty sure that I preferred TDKR to it though.
As regards the comparison someone made earlier with The World is Not Enough, I suppose another comparison (unintended, I'm sure) is that that movie took its title from Bond's family motto, whereas this one took one from his family home.
As regards the comparison someone made earlier with The World is Not Enough, I suppose another comparison (unintended, I'm sure) is that that movie took its title from Bond's family motto, whereas this one took one from his family home.
^Oh yeah, I doubt very much that of all the movies in the Bond canon, TWINE is the one they sat down and sought to emulate!
I'd previously pointed to similarities between QoS and Licence to Kill; a lot of these themes are bound to recur over the course of 20+ movies.
I'd previously pointed to similarities between QoS and Licence to Kill; a lot of these themes are bound to recur over the course of 20+ movies.
Absolutely loved this film. The best of Craig's Bonds yet, and amongst the best of the entire series.
And, oh boy, I so expected someone else to appear at the end in Scotland, but then it was just Al Finney. I think the silver screen would have exploded had it been you know who.
And if Skyfall doesn't get the Oscar for best cinematography and best editing, then I don't know what film will.
And, oh boy, I so expected someone else to appear at the end in Scotland, but then it was just Al Finney. I think the silver screen would have exploded had it been you know who.
And if Skyfall doesn't get the Oscar for best cinematography and best editing, then I don't know what film will.
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^Oh, I think heads would have melted had You Know Who played Kinkaid.
There were rumours around the time that Pierce Brosnan's last movie was going into pre-production (it would ultimately be called Die Another Day but was supposed to be called Beneath The Ice at one time) that Connery was going to appear in it as Bond's father in flashbacks and that the plot would involve Bond discovering belatedly that his parents had been murdered, not merely dying in a skiing accident as he had always believed.
Took them another decade to do a movie which shone a light on their deaths and is childhood...
There were rumours around the time that Pierce Brosnan's last movie was going into pre-production (it would ultimately be called Die Another Day but was supposed to be called Beneath The Ice at one time) that Connery was going to appear in it as Bond's father in flashbacks and that the plot would involve Bond discovering belatedly that his parents had been murdered, not merely dying in a skiing accident as he had always believed.
Took them another decade to do a movie which shone a light on their deaths and is childhood...
I liked it, but not as much as Casino Royale, From Russia With Love and probably a few others too. Best Bond ever seems just hype, but it was very good. Spotted Moneypenny early on though.
It's loused up my personal Bond film chronology though - I'd pretty much fitted in the Brosnan Bonds (all Dench 'M's) after Quantum and before Skyfall, but they've already got Moneypenny in. I was already struggling to reconcile the other films. Despite the same M, this just isn't the same Bond is it ?
And so how did he have the old Aston if he's not 'that' bond ?
It's loused up my personal Bond film chronology though - I'd pretty much fitted in the Brosnan Bonds (all Dench 'M's) after Quantum and before Skyfall, but they've already got Moneypenny in. I was already struggling to reconcile the other films. Despite the same M, this just isn't the same Bond is it ?
And so how did he have the old Aston if he's not 'that' bond ?
He's a Time Lord - this is his first incarnation, but at some point he'll regenerate into Sean Connery (doubtless after a few more incarnations between) and go back to 1962, either by means of his TARDIS or an encounter with the Weeping Angels...
That is a uniquely 'you' perspective...
Saw it today. Stupid thing is, I had my hopes up since all the people said how this one went back for a more traditional Bond feel. The missing gun barrel sequence at the beginning, banned again to the ending, should have been my clue that those comments were bullshit.
Granted, the pre-title sequence rocked and actually had quite a few Bond moments. But after that, it all became just another modern spy-flick like Jason Bourne or Salt, with a totally a-typical "Sam Peckinpah is Home Alone"-finale.
So, it was a nice action thriller, but not a "real" Bond movie, to me. So, right now, my disappointment is to fresh for me to cast a fair vote.
But, now that absolutely everything is in place (you know, Q, new M in old office, Moneypenny, Bill Tanner), I hope the next one will finally deal with a world-threatening plot again.
But tomorrow, I'll rewatch "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", to remind me of the fact that even modern spy flicks still can be fun.
Granted, the pre-title sequence rocked and actually had quite a few Bond moments. But after that, it all became just another modern spy-flick like Jason Bourne or Salt, with a totally a-typical "Sam Peckinpah is Home Alone"-finale.
So, it was a nice action thriller, but not a "real" Bond movie, to me. So, right now, my disappointment is to fresh for me to cast a fair vote.
But, now that absolutely everything is in place (you know, Q, new M in old office, Moneypenny, Bill Tanner), I hope the next one will finally deal with a world-threatening plot again.
But tomorrow, I'll rewatch "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", to remind me of the fact that even modern spy flicks still can be fun.
Well instead of the gun barrell we got a pretty cool intro. The very first shot with the music put a smile on my face.
I took it that they wanted us to forget about Quantum of Solace. Casino Royale and Skyfall can be taken as one character arc to his development into the full James Bond character. Dirty gunbarrel and less Bond feel in CR, and clean gunbarrel and a solid dose of Bond in SF.
It's kinda ironic how they wanted to get away from it all with the Craig films, and now we're even back with the Connery/Moore era M office.
I took it that they wanted us to forget about Quantum of Solace. Casino Royale and Skyfall can be taken as one character arc to his development into the full James Bond character. Dirty gunbarrel and less Bond feel in CR, and clean gunbarrel and a solid dose of Bond in SF.
It's kinda ironic how they wanted to get away from it all with the Craig films, and now we're even back with the Connery/Moore era M office.
So is there a ton of Dench?
^ Yes, there's a lot of Dame Judy !
No ideas ?
Eve's not supposed to be the original Moneypennys daughter is she ?
And here's another niggle (minor spoiler) - why were M and Co. waving a torch around when escaping ? They knew they were being hunted ! Easily written around too - remove torch, add thermal imaging glasses for hunter and bingo !
No ideas ?
Eve's not supposed to be the original Moneypennys daughter is she ?
And here's another niggle (minor spoiler) - why were M and Co. waving a torch around when escaping ? They knew they were being hunted ! Easily written around too - remove torch, add thermal imaging glasses for hunter and bingo !
I actually thought at the time that the ghillie character might have tied it to a bush and would be waiting with a gun a few yards away to see who'd come for it - which is what I'd have done!
And then it turned out that, no, they were just being stupid.
To be fair, they were walking through a frozen swamp.
I'm growing fond of the idea that James Bond is a cover identity specifically for 007 agents. MI6 recruits similar character profiles for this job. Orphans, hardened by life, with love for alcohol, women and their country. Then they give them the name James Bond to erase any ties to their true real life background.
It all started with an actual 007 agent named James Bond. Then he got killed in the line of duty, but MI6 thought it was a good idea to sort of keep the legend alive. So they recruited a similar type, and gave him the identity. And that practice continues to this day. Every now and then, when life gets in the way (like for example when he marries someone and his wife gets killed), they integrate that into the backstory for every future 007 agent. They even go so far as to change the date of the gravestones of the dead Bond parents.
So that's how he can walk around introducing himself as "Bond, James Bond" because the bad guys know the myth that once they kill him, a new Bond will appear.
I'm growing fond of the idea that James Bond is a cover identity specifically for 007 agents. MI6 recruits similar character profiles for this job. Orphans, hardened by life, with love for alcohol, women and their country. Then they give them the name James Bond to erase any ties to their true real life background.
It all started with an actual 007 agent named James Bond. Then he got killed in the line of duty, but MI6 thought it was a good idea to sort of keep the legend alive. So they recruited a similar type, and gave him the identity. And that practice continues to this day. Every now and then, when life gets in the way (like for example when he marries someone and his wife gets killed), they integrate that into the backstory for every future 007 agent. They even go so far as to change the date of the gravestones of the dead Bond parents.
So that's how he can walk around introducing himself as "Bond, James Bond" because the bad guys know the myth that once they kill him, a new Bond will appear.
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